Thursday, June 05, 2008

THE FRAGILITY OF THE BODY

I've been toying with the idea of getting another Harley. I had a custom Sporty in the 90's that I sold to pay for my first year of graduate school. Spending time in the outlaw community and with my fellow executive producer, John Linson, who rides his Dyna more than his Beamer, I've been jonsing to get back on two wheels. I even test rode the black-on-black V-Rod at Bartels two weeks ago (unbeknownst to my wife). I fucking love that bike. Fast, versatile, badass. I actually put a hold on one coming in.Tuesday night, I was in my home office and needed to get some supplies out of my attic loft. I'm waiting for a library rolling ladder to be installed. In the interim, I've been using an aluminum straight ladder that my contractor left behind. While ascending the ladder, the base slid out from under me and I dropped nine feet onto a hardwood floor. I landed on my left hip, heard multiple cracks, couldn't breath and was in excruciating pain. Katey and the kids were at the video store, so I crawled to the phone and dialed 911. After a bumpy, painful ride to Cedars, I was x-rayed, poked and prodded. I was extraordinarily lucky. No damage to my spine or neck. No critical broken bones. I fractured a couple ribs, dislocated a finger (picture for your amusement) and tore ligaments in my back, chest and shoulders. I'm pretty fucked up, but fuctional. I'll head back into work tomorrow.I don't believe in a punishing god, but I do believe in a communicative god. Walking away from this fall relatively unscathed, gives me insight I perhaps didn't have three days ago. That at 45 years of age, my body is not as quick and responsive as it was at 25 -- when I first got a motorcycle and rode cross country. Perhaps my vain machismo would best be served by a speed bag or a new power drill rather than a vehicle that puts nothing between my semi-broken body and the limb-tearing pavement. So for today, I'll let go of the Harley dream.Of course, I reserve the right to completely ignore this insight a month from now.

Is the trike mod'd with the lower horsepower harley motor in it or did ya'll swap it for a v-8? There is guy in Dallas that puts nothing but Chevy muscle in his trikes thats what im talking about! mwahahaha!

Wow this story was really scary. Waaa the finger looks creepy.Glad you have no critical broken bones and all.

Be careful next time!

Once it happened to me that I was at a camp and there was a big ballon(?) slide. You know, where kids jump up and down and slide. So, my friends and I were playing there and everytime we slid down, we jumped first. Once I jumped the way too big and I didn't slide but I flew down. I landed on my back. I could hardly breath I was fucking scared. The worst thing was that nobody cared. Like I was sitting there and could barely speak and nobody fucking cared. Well, luckily it was nothing serious.Sorry about my bad English. :S

Wellafter 10 years of not riding I recently bought and old sporty needing work and have enjoyed fixing it up as well as riding the hell out of it.I've just reached 40 so I'm not far behind you.I thought about the same things you are and came too the same conclusion as you did about God but i also thought about the fact that when its our time its our time to go regardless of what we are on or in so go get that bike and enjoy it! I do not regret for a moment getting back into it.its something that never truly leaves your blood once you have really done it

There was a Veteran here where I live. He had HALF a body..his lower half from the waist down was missing.They got together,built him a ride & he rode everyday till his death about a year ago. Where theres a will theres a way. Wind in ur face & sunshine on ur back..love & respect Sutter.

Glad your ok but get the bike. I just turned 55 just had the disks replaced between C4 and T1 plus they removed all the scar tissue and calcium build up from the verterbrae. I was off the bike for a month and I was jonesing pretty bad Got back on a month after surgery with the drs blessing Never felt better This is the first time in 20 yrs absolutely no pain Enjoy riding again You're never to old I have a few years on you But theres nothing like the wind hitting your face and the freedom you feel on 2 wheels

. . . But what a way to go. I wouldn't trade the moments of exhilaration associated with twisting that throttle for anything. If given the choice I'd die young & screaming, over a long life where at the end I was still wishing & wondering "what if".

I'm sorry you got hurt, but don't let it keep you from riding. You will be missing out on too great of an experience in life. Riding is in my blood. I don't yet drive a bike. I'm learning on our Trike. Yes a Trike. I can't get enough of riding on our 99 Heritage. But we recently got a Trike. You will find that a lot of the baby boomers are getting them and my husband is 61 years old. He has been riding since 1965. But he has broken both of his ankles, and he has scholiosis. I am 2" taller than him and combining all of this, it is getting more difficult for him to hold up a 750lb bike at stop lights. One day he won't be able to, and the thought of not being able to ride a bike again with me on the back is just not something we like to think about. So a Trike is perfect for touring and the Heritage is perfect for short trips until we can't anymore. Then he can ride it alone until I learn to ride my own. I say it is in my blood because my grandfather raced Harleys and Indians in the 20's - 40's both hillclimbing and flat tracks. Forgive the plug, but my husband writes for Thunder Roads Magazine and you might enjoy reading this article about him because my grandfather owned several bikes that my husband in all his years has never heard of. http://www.thunderroadsnorcal.com/issues/NorCalFeb11issue.pdfOn page 4. In the April issue is a article he wrote on Trikes also. At the end of this article is why I don't like trikes and photos of us.Sorry for the length of this comment. :(

Two wheels are "terrible" ! Even if I love them you can't deny their dangerous side... My left knee still wears the scars/after-effets of my last fall... 2 years ago ! OK I fell from a bike but the ground is still hard... :/